Newcastle v Sheff Weds 24/08/96 3.00Newcastle (1) 1 Sheff Weds (1) 2 FT Shearer 13 (pen) Atherton 15 Whittingham 80 Newcastle were left frustrated as Premiership leaders Sheffield Wednesday maintained their 100% start with victory. Alan Shearer gave Kevin Keegan's men an ideal start, firing home his second goal in four days from the penalty spot after Dejan Stefanovic had brought down Faustino Asprilla 12 minutes into the first half. But Newcastle's heavily-criticised defence let them down again to leave the Premiership big spenders with just three points from their opening three games. 
Peter Atherton was unmarked as he headed home Mark Pembridge's free-kick within two minutes of Shearer's opener. And 11 minutes from time Steve Watson made a mess of an attempted headed clearance, leaving Guy Whittingam to steer a shot wide of Pavel Srnicek. Wednesday's Dutch substitute Orlando Trustfull ought to have rubbed salt into Newcastle wounds when he broke clear five minutes from time, but a weak shot enabled Srnicek to save with his legs. Watson, attempting to redeem himself, headed narrowly wide from Shearer's cross as Newcastle fought desperately to salvage a point, but Wednesday held firm to make it three wins out of three. Newcastle had lived up to their reputation in an action-packed first-half in which the home side's attacking flair was undermined by defensive uncertainty. Lifted by their midweek win over Wimbledon, Newcastle tore into Wednesday from the off, Shearer signalling their intentions in the opening seconds with a shot from the halfway line which flew over the Wednesday crossbar. 
Newcastle quickly warmed to their task and the Wednesday defence was at full stretch as the mounting pressure came in waves. David Ginola's delicate chip from the left byline was inches too high for Les Ferdinand at the near post and Asprilla volleyed over from a Ginola corner on the right. Shearer was in the thick of the action, and when Wednesday's Yugoslav defender Stefanovic brought down Asprilla to concede a 12th-minute penalty the England striker's ice-cool temperament was in evidence as he buried his spot-kick in the bottom left-hand corner. Wednesday might have buckled at that point, but they were level within two minutes with a goal which underlined the question mark that has been hanging over Newcastle's defensive qualities. The Sheffield side were awarded a free-kick on the right flank and when Pembridge swung it into the box Newcastle's defence was caught cold, enabling an unchallenged Atherton to steer a downward header wide of Srnicek. Newcastle doubled their efforts in a bid to regain the initiative before the break and Shearer went desperately close to a second goal, unleashing a dipping right-foot volley from the edge of the area which flashed narrowly past the angle of post and bar. 
Kevin Pressman had to palm over a Steve Howey header from Ginola's right-wing corner, but the Wednesday keeper was generally well protected by some determined defending from centre-backs Des Walker and Stefanovic and the visitors reached half-time on level terms. After the break Newcastle became increasingly frustrated and Wednesday sensed an opportunity to claim a third straight win this season. Teenage striker Ritchie Humphreys went close with a long-range lob and Robbie Elliott made a vital clearance when Scott Oakes' cross threatened to leave Whittingham unmarked at the far post. 
Newcastle: (4-4-2) Srnicek, Watson, Elliott, Howey, Albert, Batty, Lee (Clark, 77), Ginola, Asprilla (Gillespie, 64), Shearer, Ferdinand. Subs not used: Peacock, Beardsley, Hislop. Sheff Weds: (4-1-3-2) Pressman, Atherton, Nolan, Pembridge, Walker, Oakes (Hyde, 70), Stefanovic, Collins, Blinker, Whittingham, Humphreys (Trustfull, 61). Subs not used: Nicol, Donaldson, Clarke. Booked: Stefanovic, Blinker, Hyde. Attendance: 36,452. Referee: P Jones (Loughborough). |
